Instant analysis: Who’s up, who’s down after UK’s 24-10 win over South Carolina
Instant analysis from No. 17 Kentucky’s 24-10 win over South Carolina:
How the game was won
Kentucky sprinted to a 24-3 halftime lead behind three rushing touchdowns and the Josh Allen-led UK defense made that lead stand up as the No. 17 Wildcats ran their record to 5-0, 3-0 in the SEC.
Game balls
1. Kentucky defense. Has now allowed two offensive touchdowns total in its last two games against SEC teams expected to make bowl games.
2. Josh Allen. The UK star outside linebacker is playing like a first-team All-American every week in 2018.
3. Kentucky secondary. Three interceptions (Derrick Baity, Mike Edwards and Darius West) of South Carolina quarterback Jake Bentley were huge in UK’s victory.
4. Kentucky special teams. Have been consistently outstanding in 2018.
5. Terry Wilson. How many Kentucky quarterbacks have ever started their careers 5-0?
Running gassers
1. South Carolina football program. Now joins Vanderbilt as the only SEC teams ever to lose to Kentucky in five straight seasons (but, bank on it, the Gamecocks will enter next year’s game against UK favored to win).
2. Jake Bentley. The South Carolina quarterback has now thrown five picks in two career starts vs. UK.
3. Kentucky offense. We saw in the second half, when the Cats cannot run the football they do not have much of a B option at this point.
Key number(s)
11 and 19. Kentucky (3-0 SEC) has now won 11 of its last 19 Southeastern Conference football games.
Fashion police
For its fifth game of 2018, Kentucky wore silver chrome helmets and anthracite jerseys with white numbers and letters and anthracite pants. Since the start of the 2015 season, the Wildcats are 3-6 in silver chrome helmets.
Fans in the stands
Kentucky announced a crowd of 63,081. It was the first Kroger Field sellout since Florida in 2017 (62,945). UK has now drawn in excess of 60,000 fans to two home games in a row and four of its last 18 contests in Lexington.
Mark Story: (859) 231-3230; Twitter: @markcstory
This story was originally published September 29, 2018 at 11:12 PM.